Automatic kickdown cable replacement

[Turbofiat124]

This is actually on my Brava but since the Brava and Spider both use the same automatic transmissions, the procedure should be the same.

Someone told me the transmission has to be dropped before you can remove the cable from the transmission.

There is no nut on the transmission end. It looks like it just slides into a groove but it's in there. Maybe use brute force and pull on the sleeve harder? On that end there is a small ball crimped onto the cable. But I have no idea what it attaches to.

Any ideas?

[seabeelt]

im out of town , but I will take a look on the parts car when I get home this weekend, if that desnt delay you too much

[So Cal Mark]

you have to remove the trans pan for access to the cable end

[nathanfirst]

Guys, I cant seem to find any details on replacing the kickdown step by step. Is it as easy as removing the pan, attaching the new cable inner and outer, and reassemble? New gasket required?
Ive heard that changing trans fluid on old cars can cause issues when the new fluid is put in. Any truth in that?

[spidernut]

As Mark Allison said...

Be ready for a messy job. I found that the ball end of the replacement cable was much larger than the original. I had to grind it down to fit the mechanism properly or it bound and wouldn't work.

New gasket is required.

I can only speak from personal experience regarding the trans fluid. It is hard to find anything truly equivalent to the original fluid even through it is a Dexron I fluid. The new fluids are allegedly backwards compatible, but since changing mine I have found that my trans is sludging up with a very fine grey material. I never had a problem with the original fluid. Filling the trans was not a problem at all. Just fill it at the dipstick.

[nathanfirst]

Thanks! Im working with jackstands, so any other details would be appreciated. Im guessing drain, remove pan (messy), fit new cable,
Is a new pan gasket necessary?

[bdinardo]

Hoping you all can keep this thread alive, as I'm quite confused on how to replace the kickdown cable on my 1979 automatic trans. I can't seem to understand how the transmission end actually comes out. Do I really need to remove the internals of the transmission to unhook something? It seems as though the cable enters the trans with the metal collar and then is in the middle of about a 2 inch long compression spring. The new cable just has a metal ball on the end so what does it actually fit into? Please advise! Thanks in advance.

Brian

[redcars]

I replaced mine a few years back and I didn't remove the transmission nor the pan. As I remember on the right side of the transmission you remove a 6mm bolt that holds the end of the cable. Now you just pick the ball that is on the end of the cable out of its holder and you are good to go. I will see if I can get a look at my spare transmission and see if I remember right. I know it was easy, but a tight area to work in.

[bdinardo]

Redcars, that would be most appreciated. If you could snap any pictures that would certainly help. I'm sure I'm missing something easy but the metal collar end seems to enter the transmission body so unsure how the metal ball on the end of the cable actually attaches to anything.

[wetminkey]

redcars is correct - a right-angle metal bracket holds the end of the cable in the tranny, and a small bolt secures the bracket. With the bolt and bracket removed, the end of the kickdown cable will pull straight forward, out of the transmission. There is a small piston that the ball-end of the kick-down cable slides into from the side, and you must angle the cable sideways to remove the end of the cable from the hooked end of the small piston.
My new cable stuck too far through the ball-end, would not fit in the slot in the piston, and I had to grind the end of the cable just a bit for it to insert,...
It's TIGHT getting in there to swap the cable, but it can be done without any other disassembly.
Adjustment is 9mm of cable travel after the carb linkage begins to pull on the cable.
As the accelerator reaches max travel, the carb linkage pulls on the cable, which pulls on the piston, which down shifts the tranny.
I'm afraid that I don't have any pics,...too dark and cramped under there for pics of small stuff.

[bdinardo]

redcars is correct - a right-angle metal bracket holds the end of the cable in the tranny, and a small bolt secures the bracket. With the bolt and bracket removed, the end of the kickdown cable will pull straight forward, out of the transmission. There is a small piston that the ball-end of the kick-down cable slides into from the side, and you must angle the cable sideways to remove the end of the cable from the hooked end of the small piston.
My new cable stuck too far through the ball-end, would not fit in the slot in the piston, and I had to grind the end of the cable just a bit for it to insert,...
It's TIGHT getting in there to swap the cable, but it can be done without any other disassembly.
Adjustment is 9mm of cable travel after the carb linkage begins to pull on the cable.
As the accelerator reaches max travel, the carb linkage pulls on the cable, which pulls on the piston, which down shifts the tranny.
I'm afraid that I don't have any pics,...too dark and cramped under there for pics of small stuff.

Ok perfect this helps a lot. I've already removed the bracket and, (because of curiosity have the pan off so I can see inside) and simply got nervous that pulling the cable out would dislodge the piston and spring and mess with the internals of the transmission but sounds like that's not the case. I'll pull the cable and piston straight out and ensure that the ball can fit correctly in the piston and then insert the new cable back in! Thank you!

[redcars]

I have my spare transmission case on the workbench that I was going to rebuild, but when I took it apart someone had been there before. It is missing a couple of parts and I don't like what I have seen I think it is going to be parts. I took a couple of pictures. If you want I can send them to you by text. Just send me your phone number by PM.

[bdinardo]

Kickdown cable replacement completed! Thanks for the insights and pictures. I did not end up lowering the transmission so it was VERY tight (small hands would be beneficial here), however I did remove the dipstick, and the shifter linkage to get a bit more real estate. Remove the small bolt holding the right angle bracket that holds the metal collar of the cable into the trans housing. Pull the cable forward exposing the piston which has the metal wire and ball on the end inserted into it. Remove the old cable/wire and ball from the little piston.

I to could not fit the new ball into the piston so had to grind/sand the ball and tail end of metal wire beyond the ball down just a little bit to fit. It took a few tries to angle it in but the new ball eventually fit into the piston. Reverse the steps for re-assembly.

[redcars]

Now you are a transmission cable replacement specialist.

[wetminkey]

Other than the fact that I did not remove anything, my experience was exactly the same with this chore. To include grinding the ball-end some to get it to fit smoothly into the 'hook-capture', at the end of the piston.
No fun, but got 'er done,...